1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to connector terminals, junction connectors containing such connector terminals, and wire harnesses equipped with such junction connectors. The connector terminals, junction connectors and wire harnesses of the present invention find applications e.g. in the automobile industry, where connection circuits must be branched in many different configurations.
2. Description of Background Information
FIG. 1 shows how an automobile wire harness W/H is assembled from a plurality of sub-harnesses. Sub-harnesses 1, 2, 3, etc. are first prepared by preliminarily binding electrical cables (primary bundling or binding step). The preliminarily bound sub-harnesses 1, 2, 3, etc. are then wired on a wire harness diagram sheet, while being held by a wiring tool. The sub-harnesses are then taped, or bound by an equivalent means, to obtain an assembled wire harness (final bundling or binding step).
When preparing sub-harnesses from electrical cables (primary bundling step), end portions of the constituent electrical cables w are inserted into connectors 4. When the electrical cables are to be connected to the connectors of another sub-harness, of a junction connector or of any other apparatus, an end portion of those electrical cables is provided with a terminal 5. In the primary bundling step where the sub-harnesses 1, 2 and 3 are preliminarily bound, these terminals 5 are not yet inserted into the corresponding connectors and are thus exposed; they are then referred to as xe2x80x9changingxe2x80x9d terminals. Accordingly, these terminals 5 are prone to deformation or damage. Moreover, when assembling the sub-harnesses (final bundling step), the xe2x80x9changingxe2x80x9d terminals must be inserted a posteriori into other sub-harnesses or a junction connector. Further, when the sub-harness electrical cables are to be connected to each other, a splicing process may become necessary. These processes therefore add up to a supplementary step.
FIG. 2 shows a commonly-used junction connector 6. The junction connector 6 has a junction case 7 which contains junction bus bars 8. In such a structure, after the sub-harnesses are assembled together, the electrical cables w to be joined are inserted into a counterpart connector 9. The counterpart connector 9 is then fitted with the junction connector 6, so that circuit connections can be established through the junction bus bars 8.
In the above junction connector 6, the xe2x80x9changingxe2x80x9d terminals 5 of the sub-harnesses are inserted into the counterpart connector 9, which is in turn fitted with the junction connector 6. This construction has the disadvantage of increasing the number of parts and process steps, thereby rendering automation more difficult, and leaving the xe2x80x9changingxe2x80x9d terminals prone to deformation up to the final bundling step. In addition, when an automobile type or automobile grade is changed, the corresponding circuits cannot be modified very easily.
The present invention intends to eliminate these shortcomings. The invention obviates later-stage insertion of the terminals and the splice connection between electrical cables, reduces the number of connectors, parts and assembling steps, and makes it possible to easily modify the circuits depending on automobile type or automobile grade.
To this end, the present invention first provides a connector terminal suitably used in a junction connector.
There is thus provided a connector terminal formed of an electrically conductive metallic material. The connector terminal includes a strip unit having a first end portion, a second end portion and a longitudinal center axis. The connector terminal further includes a cable-fit portion with a cable-fit element made by bending a part of the strip unit. The strip unit includes a male terminal portion located at the first end portion and a female terminal portion located at the second end portion. The male and female terminal portions are positioned on the longitudinal center axis, and the cable-fit element is placed apart from the male terminal portion and the female terminal portion.
Preferably, the female terminal portion includes a pair of looped ribbons made by looping side wing portions of the strip unit towards the longitudinal center axis, the looped ribbons being configured to elastically hold the male terminal portion.
Alternatively, the female terminal portion may include a notch formed along the longitudinal center axis and configured to receive the male terminal portion.
Likewise, the connector terminal may be formed of an electrically conductive metallic material, the connector terminal including a strip unit having a first end portion, a second end portion and a longitudinal center axis. The strip unit may include a male terminal portion located at the first end portion and a female terminal portion located at the second end portion. One of the male or female terminal portions may then include a notch formed along the longitudinal center axis and configured to receive an electrical cable.
The present invention also concerns a junction connector including at least a first junction case and a second junction case superposed thereon, each of the first and second junction cases having a top opening and a bottom opening, and containing electrical cables connected to the connector terminals formed of an electrically conductive metallic material.
As mentioned above, each of the connector terminals includes a strip unit having a first end portion, a second end portion and a longitudinal center axis, the connector terminal further includes a cable-fit portion with a cable-fit element made by bending a part of the strip unit. The strip unit includes a male terminal portion located at the first end portion and a female terminal portion located at the second end portion, the male and female terminal portions being positioned on the longitudinal center axis. The cable-fit elements are placed apart from the male terminal portion and the female terminal portion.
The first junction case is then superposed on the second junction case such that the male terminal portions contained in the first junction case fit into the female terminal portions contained in the second junction case and are connected thereto through the top and bottom openings.
In the above case, the female terminal portion may include a pair of looped ribbons made by looping side wing portions of the strip unit towards the longitudinal center axis, the looped ribbons being configured to elastically hold the male terminal portion.
Alternatively, the female terminal portion may include a notch formed along the longitudinal center axis and configured to receive the male terminal portion.
The present invention also concerns a junction connector including at least a first junction case and a second junction case superposed thereon, each of the first and second junction cases having a top opening and a bottom opening, and containing electrical cables connected to the connector terminals formed of an electrically conductive metallic material.
The connector terminal may include a strip unit having a first end portion, a second end portion and a longitudinal center axis, the strip unit including a male terminal portion located at the first end portion and a female terminal portion located at the second end portion. One of the male or female terminal portions includes a notch formed along the longitudinal center axis and configured to receive an electrical cable.
The first junction case is then superposed on the second junction case such that the male terminal portions contained in the first junction case fit into the female terminal portions contained in the second junction case and is connected thereto through the top and bottom openings.
In the above junction connector, the first and second junction cases may include arrays of connector terminals aligned at a given pitch, each array including a plurality of connector terminals which are fitted with a corresponding electrical cable wired along the array.
When connecting sub-harness electrical cables in each junction case, the present invention provides a method of wiring electrical cables in the junction connector, in which the junction connector and the connector terminals used are as described above.
The method of the present invention includes providing a preliminarily bundled sub-harness including electrical cables, looping the electrical cables, thereby forming two strands and a curved portion, fitting the two strands into cable-fitting portions of any arrays of connector terminals; and cutting off the curved portion so as to have two electrical cables connected.
The present invention also relates to a wire harness including a junction connector including at least a first junction case and a second junction case superposed thereon, each of the first and second junction cases having a top opening and a bottom opening, and containing electrical cables connected to the connector terminals formed of an electrically conductive metallic material.
As already mentioned, each of the connector terminals includes a strip unit having a first end portion, a second end portion and a longitudinal center axis, the connector terminal further including a cable-fit portion with a cable-fit element made by bending a part of the strip unit. The strip unit includes a male terminal portion located at the first end portion and a female terminal portion located at the second end portion. The male and female terminal portions are positioned on the longitudinal center axis, and the cable-fit element are placed apart from the male terminal portion and the female terminal portion.
As also already mentioned, the first junction case is then superposed on the second junction case such that the male terminal portions contained in the first junction case fit into the female terminal portions contained in the second junction case and is connected thereto through the top and bottom openings.
The inventive wire harness includes different sub-harnesses connected to one another through the connector terminals, any one of the sub-harnesses including a group of electrical cables connected to the connector terminals contained in the junction cases. Each sub-harness is connected to one of the junction cases, and the sub-harnesses are assembled by superposing the junction cases.
In the above wire harness, the first and second junction cases may include arrays of connector terminals aligned at a given pitch, each array including a plurality of connector terminals which are fitted with a corresponding electrical cable wired along the array.
In the above structure, an electrical cable can be electrically connected by merely press-fitting into one connector terminal. The connecting process can thus be automated easily. Further, the female terminal portion and the male terminal portion are formed either upwardly or downwardly, respectively, so that the entirety of the connector terminals and the electrical cables connected thereto can be connected to another entirety of connector terminals by merely superposing them. Furthermore, the female terminal portion and the male terminal portion are placed apart from the cable-fit portion, so that wiring of the electrical cables is easy and fitting of the latter with the cable-fit portion may be automated.
Preferably, the cable-fit notch is formed by notching a flat-shaped male terminal portion along the longitudinal center axis.
The structure of the connector terminal is thus simple. It nonetheless includes a cable-fit portion, and a male and a female terminal portion directed either upwardly or downwardly, respectively. The entirety of the connector terminals and the electrical cables connected thereto can thus be connected to another entirety of connector terminals by merely superposing them, as in the case of the first embodiment of the present invention.
As mentioned above, the connector terminals are aligned in each junction connector case, and several such cases are superposed. In this way, the connector terminals of a first and a second junction case are electrically connected by fitting the male terminal portion of the first junction case into the female terminal portions of the second junction case. In this configuration, electrical cable connections can be achieved by press-fitting the latter with chosen connector terminals. Any modifications in the circuitry, e.g. due to a change of automobile type or automobile grade, can thus be effected very easily.
As mentioned above, the electrical cables to be connected to different sub-harnesses are preliminarily connected to the connector terminals contained in respectively corresponding junction cases. When such junction cases are superposed, the male terminal portions of the connector terminals in a junction case fit into the female terminal portions of the corresponding junction case. The electrical cables of a sub-harness are thus connected to those of another sub-harness. Accordingly, subsequent insertion of terminals or a splicing process are no longer necessary. In addition, the sub-harnesses contain no xe2x80x9changingxe2x80x9d terminals, and can take the final configuration. The final bundling process can thus be simplified.